FA Cup Revamp - Right or Wrong?

[beardosh]

Dear FA,

Please reverse the following list and the FA Cup shall be much better:

Semi Finals at Wembley
Tacky Live Draws at various points in a weekend
Games spread out from Friday - Monday
Keep changing the TV rights
Too many televised games

I remember when FA Cup semi final weekend was the same weekend as the Grand National and I think the boat race(?). Made for a great sporting weekend and everyone was focused on those events which was well, magical!

 

[The Large One]

The FA Cup Draw - then and now...

Then:

- No.23
- Derby County
- No.6
- Will play Preston North End
- No.12
- Aston Villa
- No.8
- Will play Blackburn Rovers
- No.29
etc.

Now:
- No.6
- That’s Nigel Clough’s Derby County, 2-0 winners over Carlisle United...
- No.23
- ... yesterday looking for a good draw are going to be playing Preston North End - dramatic last minute...
- No.12
- ...winner over Russell Slade’s Leyton Orient side at Deepdale earlier this afternoon.
- No.8
- Aston Villa of the Premiership are going to play Blackburn Rovers, also...
- No.29
etc.

 

[Pavilionaire]

One problem is there are too many big football matches in the other competitions when the FA Cup is starting up, so the competition doesn't get any momentum.

Neutral Football fans would rather watch Birmingham vs West Ham League Cup Semi-Final than a 4th Round between Man City and Notts County replay. Similarly, I'd rather watch Barcelona vs Arsenal than, say, Bolton vs Spurs 5th Round Replay.

It would help both the League Cup and the FA Cup if they were played at different times, i.e if the League Cup was done and dusted by mid-December. This would then unclutter the second half of the season.

One other change is that Wembley semis HAVE to go. Play one at Old Trafford, the other at the Millennium Stadium, but don't devalue the final.

 

[Nottseagull]

I would have little problem with scrapping replays,

So, the club starting with the disadvantage of being drawn away would be further penalised by having the extra time and maybe the penalties also on hostile territory. Do you not understand the romance of the FA Cup, the sort that granted a replay for Exeter City after drawing at Old Trafford? And Burton Albion would probably never have made it to that theatre of their dreams had they had to endure extra time and possibly penalties after holding Manchester Utd at home.

 

[Lord Bamber]

I remember when FA Cup semi final weekend was the same weekend as the Grand National and I think the boat race(?). Made for a great sporting weekend and everyone was focused on those events which was well, magical!

Ah the nostalgia of it all!

I used to love those weekends too.

 

[Simster]

The semis have to be at Wembley now though - the stupid idea to rebuild Wembley at that absurd cost has seen to that. Too bad they didn't build the national stadium near Coventry or in Birmingham, IMO, then we'd never have seen this problem.

Changes I'd make:
1) Scrap the pointless league cup.
2) Scrap replays. They get in the way, and even in the good old days it never felt right having numerous replays for all rounds except the last two!
3) Winner given a Champions League spot, other finalist into Europa league. If winner finishes in the top 3, that place in the Champs league goes to the 4th place team.

 

[Nottseagull]

Neutral Football fans would rather watch Birmingham vs West Ham League Cup Semi-Final than a 4th Round between Man City and Notts County replay. Similarly, I'd rather watch Barcelona vs Arsenal than, say, Bolton vs Spurs 5th Round Replay.

Really? I wouldn't, for one. But that's because I don't view the big club matches as the most attractive.

 

[Lord Bamber]

Really? I wouldn't, for one. But that's because I don't view the big club matches as the most attractive.

I am with you on this. Ignoring the cup, one of the best live games this year has been Peterborough vs Southampton, definately not big clubs.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

My immediate reactions

Ideas include:

*Seeding teams from the third round in a bid to ensure the top teams do not draw each other in the early stages. DISAGREE

*Scrapping replays. Agree from a League club's point of view but would take away smaller clubs earning lucative away games on the back of a decent home game so DISAGREE

*Playing all FA Cup ties in midweek. NOT BOTHERED

*Handing the winners a Champions League berth if UEFA grant English clubs a fifth place in Europe’s top club competition. AGREE

You didn't include the proposed 5:30pm kick off for the cup final.

DISAGREE

 

[happypig]

All FA cup games to be played at 1500 on Saturday. Next round drawn at 1800. Replays the following Wednesday week. Only the final on TV. If you want to see it, buy a ticket.

 

[sten_super]

So, the club starting with the disadvantage of being drawn away would be further penalised by having the extra time and maybe the penalties also on hostile territory. Do you not understand the romance of the FA Cup, the sort that granted a replay for Exeter City after drawing at Old Trafford? And Burton Albion would probably never have made it to that theatre of their dreams had they had to endure extra time and possibly penalties after holding Manchester Utd at home.

Where's the romance in a money-spinning replay? How many giant killings have taken place in recent years in a replay? The attendances and viewing figures suggest that by-and-large spectators aren't interested in replays. Football should be played with the aim of victory, not earning the football club a few bob.

 

[Spider]

So thanks to plummeting FA Cup *attendances, the FA are looking at ways of arresting the slide in time for the new television agreement next year.

Ideas include:

*Seeding teams from the third round in a bid to ensure the top teams do not draw each other in the early stages.

*Scrapping replays.

*Playing all FA Cup ties in midweek.

*Handing the winners a Champions League berth if UEFA grant English clubs a fifth place in Europe’s top club competition.


Am I the only one who feels this is just about getting the rich richer & the poor poorer?

The only thing I would change about the FA Cup is to reduce the Champions League places to 3 for league positions and give the FA Cup winner a spot. This would keep it real.

This is the only one of these ideas that would actually benefit the cup - and it's the only one that will be completely ignored. f***ing Premiership and f***ing Champions League. Is Champions League interest going to start dropping when people realise that the group stage is far more of a Micky Mouse competition than rounds 3/4/5 or the FA Cup.

Scrapping Replays is a terrible idea. Upsets are quite few and far between now, so don#t then get rid of the other piece of excitement for smaller clubs, which is the chance to bring someone like United to your own turf, or, having achieved a draw with them in your fortress the chance to go to Old Trafford.

 

[severnside gull]

seeding would guarantee that "top" teams rest their best players and attendances and interestwill plummet even further

playing midweek will also guarantee lower crowds




the league cup and JPT are already largely pointless and generally undervalued - now for the FA Cup - these seem like some great ideas to kill the old girl off completely

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The semis have to be at Wembley now though - the stupid idea to rebuild Wembley at that absurd cost has seen to that. Too bad they didn't build the national stadium near Coventry or in Birmingham, IMO, then we'd never have seen this problem.

Changes I'd make:
1) Scrap the pointless league cup.
2) Scrap replays. They get in the way, and even in the good old days it never felt right having numerous replays for all rounds except the last two!
3) Winner given a Champions League spot, other finalist into Europa league. If winner finishes in the top 3, that place in the Champs league goes to the 4th place team.

I wouldnt scrap the League cup I would make it an U23 cup where you have to play x amount of English players.

 

[drew]

wrong post quoted!!!

As for the comments, the only one I agree with is no replays.

 

[kingcole]

I have no problem with the draw being on TV. I actually quite like it.

But have to agree, there should be just two TV games - on the Sunday and Saturday Lunchtime, and it needs to be one that will be a sellout. Draw to follow after.

I think there should be provision also for a lunchtime kickoff on Sunday which could be used if two teams in close proximity were at home. Arsenal v Chelea and Tottenham v United could be hard to handle at the same time!

I think we have to keep replays.

Semi finals should not be at Wembley ( so many big grounds now in great regional locations..... Man U, Newcastle, Man City, Villa, Emirates, Millenium stadium, Southampton ( i know but would be perfect for a Brighton v Bmuff semi!)

Champions league place for the winner

Provision for any teams that are competing in Europe to enter at the 4th round stage maybe. This might encourage them to put full strengh quads forward.

 

[drew]

best thing for the FA Cup is to bin the League Cup and make the FA Cup Winners a guaranteed Europe spot, leave everything else the same....job done!

The FA Cup winners are guaranteed a place in europe!!!!

 

[Lord Bamber]

The FA Cup winners are guaranteed a place in europe!!!!

Isnt the point....guaranteed a champs league spot rather than just the europa league

 

[Curious Orange]

Lets face it, the only thing that the top Premier League teams complain about is the amount of games that they have to play. The solution to this is obvious - get rid of the pointless League elements of the European competitions that nobody cares about.

I can't see that happening though.

 

[Silent Bob]

These don't seem to be ways of getting more people in, they just seem to be thinking that doing everything the opposite of how it is now will make attendances go the opposite way.